Thursday, August 30, 2018

It seemed at first like a painfully mismatched fight: A showdown between a local developer and the horse-loving communities of Glendale and Burbank, Calif.

The conflict in the Glendale Riverside Rancho district of Los Angeles was ignited this February when Art Simonian, the founder of Metro Investments, and Thomas Bell, the owner of Silver Spur Stables located at 1900 West Riverside Drive, filed an application with the City of Glendale to change the stables’ zoning from commercial equestrian to multifamily residential. They didn’t know what they were getting into.

Simonian and Bell were hoping to demolish the stables, currently housing 80 horses, to make way for 21 townhouses in six three-story buildings on the one-acre parcel on which the stable, built in the 1930s, sits. It would also call for the removal of a 30-feet width of Allen Avenue, an access route to the trail system and Griffith Park. The two hoped to have the project completed by August 2019. Both Simonian and Bell declined to comment on their plans.

The move became the opening volley, which would be met by stringent opposition from Glendale and Burbank residents who feared the change would threaten the area’s equine heritage and historic character, and remove valuable open space providing riders with reasonable access to Griffith Park and local bridle trails. It would also, in their opinion, put a low-density single-family zone at risk for future zone changes and decimate equestrian businesses serving horse owners and working stables...

Sunday, August 26, 2018

As community input on the Los Alamos County’s bike flow trail project is collected, members of the equestrian community hope their perspectivehot on the project is considered.

A few local horseback riders recently spoke with the Los Alamos Daily Post about the bike flow trail and shared their thoughts on the primary proposed location for the trail, Bayo Canyon.

As Nancy Boudrie said, the hope is County staff will look to other locations rather than the canyon for the trail.

“We would like to see them (the County) seek an alternative to the route through Bayo Canyon,” she said.

Pajarito Mountain was the original site proposed for the flow trail, Amy Rogers said. An alternate location was sought due to the lengthy private land transfer process between the ski club and Mountain Capital Partners, LLC. Pajarito Mountain may or may not present the possibility for an alternate location due to the private ownership of the ski hill and the necessary process for using County funds to build a flow trail in this area. However, Pueblo Canyon or other existing County locations may present workable alternative sites.

One issue horse owners have with having the bike flow trail in Bayo Canyon is that it would limit horseback riders’ access to trails in the canyon, June Wall said.

“Bayo Canyon is the only access we have off the stable area … that’s a big concern,” Wall said.

In a written statement, Louis Schulte explained, “Bayo Canyon is particularly important to the horse community as it provides the only access for equestrians to all backcountry trails...

Friday, August 24, 2018

The amount of taxpayer money spent to provide public access to hunting and fishing grounds through the LWCF: $0

The Land and Water Conservation Fund is America's most important program to conserve irreplaceable lands and improve outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the nation.

America's most important conservation and recreation program, which has saved places in nearly every state and every county in the U.S., will expire on September 30, 2018 without action from Congress.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund is in its 52nd year of conservation and recreation success. It is because of Teddy Roosevelt's vision to start protecting our recreational opportunities, Dwight D. Eisenhower’s instinct for conservation action, John F. Kennedy's commitment to the outdoors, and Lyndon B. Johnson's creation of LWCF that we as Americans now have the most extensive network of open spaces in the world to hunt, fish, hike, swim, and play.

But that could be all over in just 52 weeks. In order to build momentum towards finding a long-term solution for authorization and funding, the LWCF Coalition is launching a year-long awareness initiative counting down to the expiration of our most important conservation and recreation program.

Each week a state or U.S. territory will be highlighted showcasing LWCF success stories from the federal, state, and local level, and opportunities that are on the horizon for LWCF to improve recreational access and conservation across America, and places that could be lost forever if Congress does not act by September 30, 2018.
#SaveLWCF before the places we love are lost forever

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Lexington, KY – August 20, 2018 – American Trails and Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) will co-host a panel webinar on August 23, 2018 at 1:00 pm Eastern Time entitled “How They Did It: Planning and Creating Equestrian Trails Through Organization”.

Why attend this webinar? Part of American Trails’ Advancing Trails Webinar Series, this presentation focuses on the value and process of organizing throughout the equine community. Horsemen and women will see what organizations around the country are accomplishing as they protect places for equine activities of all kinds, and how collaboration is critical to getting things done. Planners will understand their role in helping achieve equestrian community needs through planning and conservation. Landscape architects will gain a better understanding of recreational equestrian trails in different regions of the country and how sustainable trail planning, design and maintenance can be done within the context of community health, wellbeing and welfare.

After an introduction by ELCR Education Director, Denise O’Meara, PLA, the following panelists will present aspects of the organization process in their communities, including sustainable trail planning, design and building.

Mary Farr works diligently to protect open land and trails in her home community of St. John’s, Florida, most recently creating trails through the community’s newly formed chapter of Back Country Horsemen, First Coast. Mary has lived in three of the fastest growing counties in the United States: Jefferson Parish (county), LA; Wake/Chatham County, NC and St Johns County, FL, and has “seen growth done poorly and done well”.

With her degree in Urban Planning and Economics and work in economic development and marketing research in the agricultural sector, Mary and husband Charles have placed a conservation easement on their 44-acre Long Leaf pine forest/horse farm, “so it will stay natural in perpetuity.” Mary will speak about the Coalitions that have formed, helping her to work through the trails and land protection scenario in her community on a variety of fronts.

Lyndall Erb is the San Mateo County, California director and president of Bay Area Barns and Trails. Lyndall will talk about BABT’s activities assisting landowners and land managers with preservation and maintenance of publicly accessible barns, stables, pastures, staging areas, horse camps, and trails throughout Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma Counties. BABT administers a grant program to assist local organizations with projects and activities that will help to protect equestrian activities, facilities and land.

Lyndall grew up in San Francisco and has been active in the horse community of the San Francisco Bay Area since moving back to California in 1994. She has served on the Board of several clubs and committees including Los Viajeros Riding Club; Equestrian Trail Riders Action Committee (ETRAC); and Coastside Horse Council. She served as Volunteer Coordinator for the Woodside-area Horse Owners Association (WHOA) and on the San Mateo County Confined Animal Technical Advisory Committee.

Mark Flint is a professional trail designer from Tucson Arizona, where he works as a part-time trails program coordinator for Pima County and has his own trail design business, Southwest Trail Solutions, which has designed trails in Vermont and Nevada as well as in many parts of Arizona. Mark is also a chief regional steward for the Arizona Trail Association. He will speak about the organizational process of the Association, the coalitions formed and work that has been accomplished, including specifics on trial design and maintenance in the somewhat unique conditions of the Arizona region and Arizona National Scenic Trail corridor.

Mark was heavily involved in the design and construction of the Arizona National Scenic Trail in Southern Arizona and did design and construction project management on segments in Central Arizona.

About the Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR): ELCR builds awareness of the loss of lands available for horse-related activities and facilitates the protection and conservation of those lands working to ensure America’s equine heritage lives on and the emotional, physical and economic benefits of the horse-human relationship remains accessible. ELCR serves as an information resource and clearinghouse on conserving horse properties, land use planning, land stewardship/best management practices, trails, liability and equine economic impact. For more information about the ELCR visit www.elcr.org or call (859) 455-8383

About American Trails: American Trails (AT) is a national, nonprofit organization working on behalf of all trail interests, including hiking, bicycling, mountain biking, horseback riding, water trails, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, trail motorcycling, ATVs, snowmobiling and four-wheeling. AT supports local, regional, and long-distance trails and greenways, whether they be in backcountry, rural or urban areas by finding common ground and promoting cooperation among all trail interests. AT’s website, www.americantrails.org , is a comprehensive online source for planning, building, designing, funding, managing, enhancing, and supporting trails, greenways, and blueways. Contact AT at their Redding California office: (530) 605-4395.

Monday, August 20, 2018

For over half a century, Americans have enjoyed a program that contributes approximately $20 billion into protecting land in nearly every county in the U.S., helping to support more than 42,000 state and local park projects including playgrounds, trails and open spaces, and improving access to the great outdoors for all Americans — accomplished with no cost to taxpayers.

It almost sounds too good to be true, and unfortunately, it may not be true much longer unless Congress renews the Land and Water Conservation Fund before it expires on September 30. With it would go this country’s best promise to protect our public outdoor spaces and our cultural heritage...

Monday, August 6, 2018

Come to think of it, do you yearn to ride your horse on the beach or trail?

Most of Washington’s ocean beaches and several Washington state parks allow equestrian activities, including sections of State Parks’ long-distance trails. A handful of park concessionaires also rent horses and mules and offer guided rides.

So, saddle your steed, or book a guided ride and giddy-up!

THE ADVENTURE

Individual parks

♥ Bridle Trails State Park, east of Seattle, gives horses the right of way on 28 miles of trails. Social rides and equestrian events take place throughout the year at the park, allowing visitors and locals to mingle over a shared passion.

Set between Kirkland and Redmond, Bridle Trails is the place for city dwellers with horses.

With three arenas and a full calendar of equestrian events, you won’t have the park to yourself, but these activities, plus festivals and concerts, will keep you and your horse busy...

Sunday, August 5, 2018

One of the arguments about the need for the historic Sutey Ranch for horseback riding is the fact that as Tony Vagneur wrote in a column in The Aspen Times not too long ago, that in our old days, when our grandfathers and mothers were young and Tony, too, we could ride from ranch to ranch, mountain to mountain and valley to valley without ever stepping into a horse trailer. For us, due to many reasons, that time is over. We cannot cross a road, we cannot access our trails, and we cannot even ride down along side of the roadways. We have to create areas carved out where we can enjoy our horses.

The mountain bikers are asking for the development of loop trails from Red Hill Bureau of Land Management area by expanding the Red Hill boundary to include the Sutey Ranch, likely allowing for a rideable connection all the way onto County Road 112, just a mile away from the Fisher Creek BLM area on Missouri Heights...